Adjustable doffer plate shaft mounting for cotton pickers



Dec. 21, 1965 A. KENNEDY ADJUSTABLE DOFFER PLATE SHAFT MOUNTING FOR COTTON PICKERS Filed Nov. 1, 1963 III! IIIIIIIIIIII.

LEO A. KENNEDY INVENTOR MW 71% ATTORNEYS United States Patent gen-A 3,224,173 ADJUSTABLE DOFFER PLATE SHA T MGUNT- ING FOR COTTGN PICKERS Leo A. Kennedy, 2979 Hammond Ave, Fresno, Calif. Filed Nov. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 320,698 9 Claims. (Cl. 56-41) The present invention relates to an adjustable doffer plate shaft mounting for a cotton picker and more particularly to such an adjustable mounting which enables a plurality of doifer plates thereon to be accurately positioned relative to a corresponding number of rows of picking spindles for optimum removal of cotton therefrom with a minimum of doffer interference with the spindles.

Cotton pickers conventionally employ rotatable picking drums having a plurality of rows of picking spindles thereon. A plurality of dotfer plates corresponding in number to the rows of spindles are mounted on a substantially upright shaft in spaced parallel relation to the picking drum so that the doffer plates are intermeshed with the rows of spindles in closely spaced substantially parallel relation. Such parallel positions must be maintained in order to preclude rubbing of the plates with the spindles to minimize wear but must be maintained sufiiciently close to insure complete doffing of cotton from the spindles. If the doffer plate support shaft becomes tipped from its upright parallel position with respect to the doffer drum, uneven wear occurs on the doifer plates and spaces develop therebetween which result in incomplete dolfing. Such shaft tipping may be caused by warping of the picker housing due to twisting of the picker frame or other damage caused by inadvertent striking of ditch banks and the like, all of which may contribute to misalignment of the doffer plates with respect to the spindles. When such warping occurs, the shaft and worn plates must be removed and the plates reground as a unit to their original substantially fiat equally spaced condition. After reassambly of the unit within the picking head, the shaft may be vertically axially positioned by manipulation of an upper adjusting mechanism conventionally provided adjacent to the upper shaft bearing. If, however, the misalignment of the shaft is not corrected, the surfaces of the doiTer plates will not properly conform to the spindles in the desired parallel relation. The resulting gaps therebetween permit cotton on the spindles to pass by the doffer plates without being removed. The unremoved cotton is carried by the spindles around the full circumference of the drum where the loaded spindles are exposed to a flushing fiuid which normally serves to remove plant juices and the like but which cannot remove intertwined cotton missed by the doffers. After such saturation at the flushing station, the cotton is even more tenaciously intertwined on the spindles and greatly impairs their picking capability. As a result, a great amount of lost time is experienced in that the picker must be shut down in order that such intertwined cotton can be manually removed from the spindles.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable dofier plate shaft mounting for accurately positioning the dofier plates adjacent to their respective spindles.

Another object is to provide such an adjustable doffer plate shaft mounting which is universally positionable to compensate for warping of the picker housing.

Another object is to provide an adjustable doifer plate shaft mounting of the character described which permits the doffer plates and spindles to be disposed in minutely spaced relation without rubbing.

Another object is to provide an adjustable doffer plate shaft mounting so that the plates and spindles are maintained in such parallel relation virtually to eliminate customary periodic regrinding of the doffer plates.

3,224,178 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 Other objects and advantages of the present invention will subsequently become more clearly apparent upon reference to the description in the specification.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross section through the picker housing of a cotton picker showing a picking drum, spindles and doffer plates thereof in side elevation.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the picker housing taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the spindles and doffer plates in top plan.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary somewhat enlarged side elevation of a spindle disposed in operating position adjacent to the lug of a doifer plate.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the lower adjustable mounting plate with the doffer shaft removed therefrom.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat enlarged central cross section through the mounting plate of FIG. 4 mounting the lower bearing of the dolfer shaft.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a cotton picker housing is fragmentarily indicated at 10 having an upper wall 11, a lower wall 12, and an intermediate wall 13. The intermediate wall divides the housing into an upper drive section 14 and a lower picking section 15. A picking drum 16 is rotatably mounted on a substantially upright shaft 17 having a sprocket 18 driven by an endless chain 19 connected to a source of power on the picker, not shown. A cam plate 20 is mounted within the housing and provides a track 21 to receive a cam following crankarm 23 pivotally mounted on the drum. The crank arm has an elongated depending shaft portion 25 mounting a plurality of substantially transversely outwardly extended picking spindles 28 having tapered outer barbed and fluted ends 29. The spindles are somewhat upwardly angularly extended from their mounting shaft 25 so that the outer ends 29 present substantially horizontal upper surfaces 30.

A plurality of circular doffer plates 35 having equally spaced radially extended depending lugs 36 are mounted in equally spaced relation on an elongated mounting shaft 38. The lugs 36 provide lower substantially flat surfaces 40 which, as best shown in FIG. 3, are disposed in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to the upper surface 30 of their respective spindles 28. The doffer plate mounting shaft 38 provides upper and lower screw threaded ends 42 and 43, respectively. A pair of upper and lower bearings 45 and 46, respectively, are mounted on the shaft in closely spaced relation to the ends thereof. A sprocket 48 is mounted in downwardly spaced relation to the upper bearing 45 in coplanar relation with the drum sprocket 18 concurrently to be driven therewith by the chain 19. The relative sizes between the sprockets 48 and 18 are such so that the doffer plates are preferably driven at a speed approximately five times greater than that of the picking drum 16.

An upper bearing cage 58 is bolted to the upper wall 11 of the picker housing 19 and provides a bore 52 axially slidably non-rotatably to receive the upper bearing 45 of the doifer plate mounting shaft 38. An adjusting mechanism 55 is secured to the upper end 42 of the shaft for axially manipulating the shaft 38 to move the doffer plates 35 toward and from their respective spindles 28 in the conventional manner. A cap 56 is disposed in covering relation to the bore 52 in the cage to prevent the entrance of dirt.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower bearing 46 is axially slidably non-rotatably received within the bore 58 of a lower bearing cage 60. The lower bearing cage provides an integral outer flange 62 which is fastened by a plurality of bolts 63 to a circular mounting ring 65. The mounting ring is secured as by welding or the like to an adjustable mounting plate having a central bore 72 to accommodate the bearing cage 60 therethrough. A bearing cap 73 which carries an internal oil seal ring 74 is fitted over the bearing cage and provides a bore 75 loosely to receive the doffer plate mounting shaft 33. The lower bearing cage 60 and the mounting ring 65 are extended through a circular opening '77 in the lower wall 12 of the housing and is supported in such position by the mount ing plate 70 disposed in overlying relation with the lower wall. The mounting plate provides a plurality of elongated openings 79 therethrough which, as best shown in FIG. 4, are disposed in crossing relation with a corresponding number of elongated openings 80 in the lower wall 12 of the housing. A plurality of bolt and nut assemblies 82 are extended through the openings 79 and 80 in tightly clamping relation positively t locate the lower bearing cage 60 in the desired position.

Operation The operation of the described embodiment of the subject invention is believed to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. The picking drum 16 and the doifer plates 35 are rotated in the same direction by the drive chain 19 so that, as shown in FIG. 2, their adjacent peripheries are traveled in opposite directions. During such rotation, the lugs 36 on the doffer plates first engage the inner or root portion of the outer ends 29 of their respective picking spindles 28 and move in a relative direction substantially longitudinally out- Wardly along the spindles to scrape off intertwined cotton thereon.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the lower surface 40 of the lugs is positioned in closely spaced substantially parallel relation to the upper surface 30 of their respective spindles. Such spacing between the surfaces 30 and 40 is determined by a feeler gauge, not shown, to space the surfaces preferably .0004 of an inch apart for optimum dofiing. This parallel spacing is accurately controlled by loosening the bolt and nut assemblies 82 of the mounting plate 70 so that the lower bearing cage 60 can be manipulated by movement of the mounting plate relative to the bolt and nut assemblies 82 through the elongated openings 79 and 80. After the correct bearing position is determined, the bolt and nut assemblies 82 are tightened to maintain such bearing position and the desired closely spaced parallel relation between the surfaces 30 and 40 of the spindles and doifer plate lugs.

With the lugs disposed in such position, substantially no cotton is able to pass the dofier plates without being removed by the scraping action of the lugs along the upper surfaces of the spindles. If the lower wall 12 of the picker housing becomes warped or otherwise damaged to cause misalignment of the doffer plate mounting shaft 38 from its vertically erect position in parallel relation to the picking drum, the bolt and nut assemblies 82 can be loosened and the lower bearing cage 60 repositioned to dispose the doifer plate lugs and spindles in the above described optimum dofling relation. It is noted that the crossed relation between the elongated openings 79 and 80 in the mounting plate 70 and the lower wall 12 of the housing permits the lower bearing cage to be universally positioned within the enlarged opening 77 in the lower wall to accommodate warping of said lower wall in substantially any direction.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable mounting, for a doffer shaft in a cotton picker having a picker housing providing rows of picker spindles and a plurality of doffer plates mounted on said shaft individually adjacent to said spindles for removing cotton therefrom, opposite upper .and lower hearings on the shaft, and a bearing cage slidably receiving said upper bearing to mount the same in the housing and to permit axial adjustment of the shaft therein; comprising constraining means mounting said lower bearing to accommodate said axial adjustment of the shaft; and shaft positioning means mounted on said constraining means adjustably to support the constraining means on the housing for universal transverse movement of the shaft selectively to position said doif-er plates in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

2. An adjustable mounting, for a doifer shaft in a cotton picker having a picker housing providing rows of picker spindles and a plurality of doffer plates mounted on said shaft individually adjacent to said spindles for removing cotton therefrom, opposite upper and lower bearings on the shaft, and a bearing cage slidably receiving said upper bearing to mount the same in the housing and to permit axial adjustment of the shaft therein; comprising constraining means slidably receiving said lower bearing to accommodate said axial adjustment of the shaft; and shaft positioning means mounted on said constraining means and extended therefrom in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the shaft adjustably supporting the constraining means on the housing for universal transverse movement of the shaft for selectively positioning said doffer plates in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

3. An adjustable mounting, for a doffer shaft in a cotton picker having a picker housing providing rows of picker spindles and a plurality of doifer plates mounted on said shaft individually adjacent to said spindles for removing cotton therefrom, opposite upper and lower bearings on the shaft, and a bearing cage slidably receiving said upper bearing to mount the same in the housing and to permit axial adjustment of the shaft therein; comprising a bearing constraining member axially slidably receiving said lower bearing to accommodate said axial adjustment of the shaft; a shaft positioning member mounted on said bearing constraining member and extended therefrom in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the shaft; and means releaseably mounting said shaft positioning member on the housing adjustably to support the bearing constraining member for selective universally transverse adjustment of the shaft for positioning said doifer plate in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

4. An adjustable mounting, for a doffer shaft in a cotton picker having a picker housing providing rows of picker spindles and a plurality of doifer plates mounted on said shaft individually adjacent to said spindles for removing cotton therefrom, opposite upper and lower bearings on the shaft, and an upper bearing cage slidably receiving said upper bearing to mount the same in the housing and to permit axial adjustment of the shaft therein; comprising a lower bearing cage having a bore slidably non-rotatably receiving said lower bearing to accommodate said axial adjustment of the shaft; a shaft positioning plate mounted on said lower bearing cage and extended therefrom in circumscribing relation in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the shaft; and means releasably mounting said shaft positioning plate on the housing adjustably to support the lower bearing cage for selective universally transverse adjustment of the shaft for positioning said doifer plates in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

5. An adjustable mounting, for a doifer shaft in a cotton picker having a picker housing providing opposite upper and lower walls, the latter of which has a plurality of elongated slots therethrough, a picking drum having a p i y of roWs f p k g p ndles thereon, a plurality of doffer plates mounted on an elongated shaft disposing said plates individually adjacent to said rows of spindles for removing cotton therefrom, opposite upper and lower bearings on the shaft, and an upper bearing cage slidably non-rotatably receiving said upper bearing mounting the shaft in the upper wall of the housing permitting axial adjustment of the haft; comprising a lower bearing cage having a bore axially slidably non-rotatably receiving said lower bearing to accommodate said axial movement of the shaft; a shaft positioning plate mounted on said lower bearing cage and extended therefrom in circumscribing relation in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the shaft and having a plurality of elongated slots therethrough disposed in crossing registering relation to the elongated slots through the lower wall of the housing; and fastener means releasably individually disposed through said slots in the plate and through the slots in the lower wall of the housing to permit universal positioning of the plate on the housing for selective universal transverse adjustment of the shaft for positioning said doffer plates in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

6. In a cotton picker having a picker housing providing opposite top and bottom walls, a picking drum having a plurality of rows of picking spindles thereon, a' plurality of doffer plates mounted on a shaft individually disposed adjacent to said rows of spindles to remove cotton therefrom, said doffer shaft having upper and lower ends individually rotatably mounted in bearings adjacent to said top and bottom walls of the housing, the improvement comprising a bearing retainer at said lower end of the shaft having a bore axially slidably to receive said hearing at the lower end of the shaft; and shaft positioning means mounted on said bearing retainer adjustably to support the bearing retainer on the housing for universal transverse movement of the shaft selectively to position said doffer plates in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

7. In a cotton picker having a picker housing providing opposite top and bottom walls, a picking drum having a plurality of rows of picking spindles thereon, a plurality of doffer plates mounted on a shaft individually disposed adjacent to said rows of spindles to remove cotton therefrom, said doffer shaft having upper and lower ends individually rotatably mounted in upper and lower bearings adjacent to said top and bottom walls of the housing; and a bearing cage axially slidably receiving said upper bearing to mount the upper end of the shaft in the housing for axial adjustment of the shaft therein, the improvement comprising a bearing constraining member axially slidably receiving said lower bearing to accommodate said axial adjustment of the shaft; and a shaft positioning member mounted on said bearing constraining member and extended therefrom in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the shaft; and means releasably mounting said shaft positioning member on the housing adjustably to support the bearing constraining member for selective universally transverse adjustment of the shaft for positioning said doffer plat i minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

8. In a cotton picker having a picker housing providing opposite top and bottom walls, a picking drum having a plurality of rows of picking spindles thereon, a plurality of doffer plates mounted on a shaft individually disposed adjacent to said rows of spindles to remove cotton therefrom, said doffer shaft having upper and lower ends individually rotatably mounted in upper and lower bearings adjacent to said top and bottom walls of the housing, and an upper bearing cage axially slidably receiving said upper bearing to mount the upper end of the shaft in the housing for axial adjustment of the shaft therein, the improvement comprising a lower bearing cage having a bore slidably receiving said lower bearing to accommodate said axial adjustment of the shaft; a shaft positioning plate mounted on said lower bearing cage and extended therefrom in circumscribing relation in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the shaft; and means releasably connecting said shaft positioning plate on the housing adjustably to support the bearing cage for selective universally transverse adjustment of the shaft for positioning said doffer plates in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

9 In a cotton picker having a picker housing providing opposite top and bottom walls, a picking drum having a plurality of rows of picking spindles thereon, a plurality of doffer plates mounted on a shaft individually disposed adjacent to said rows of spindles to remove cotton therefrom, said doffer shaft having upper and lower ends individually rotatably mounted in upper and lower bearings adjacent to said top and bottom walls of the housing, and an upper bearing cage axially slidably receiving said upper bearing to mount the upper end of the shaft in the housing for axial adjustment of the shaft therein, the improvement comprising a lower bearing cage having a bore axially slidably non-rotatably receiving said lower bearing to accommodate said axial movement of the shaft; a shaft positioning plate mounted on said lower bearing cage and extended therefrom in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the shaft and having a plurality of elongated slots therethrough disposed in crossing relation to the elongated slots through the lower wall of the housing; and fastener means releasably disposed through said slot in the plate and through the slots in the lower wall of the housing to permit universal positioning of the plate on the housing for selective universal transverse adjustment of the shaft for positioning said doffer plates in minutely spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective spindles.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,802,021 4/1931 Iohnston et a1 5647 1,984,464 12/1934 Cohen 308l78 X 3,014,332 12/1961 Hubbard 56-41 ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL R. KINSEY, Examiner, 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING, FOR A DOFFER SHAFT IN A COTTON PICKER HAVING A PICKER HOUSING PROVIDING ROWS OF PICKER SPINDLES AND A PLURALITY OF DOFFER PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT INDIVIDUALLY ADJACENT TO SAID SPINDLES FOR REMOVING COTTON THEREFROM, OPPOSITE UPPER AND LOWER BEARING ON THE SHAFT, AND A BEAR CAGE SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID UPPER BEARING TO MOUNT THE SAME IN THE HOUSING AND TO PERMIT AXIAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE SHAFT THEREIN; COMPRISING CONSTRAINING MEANS MOUNTING SAID LOWER BEARING 